Sand-guard for railways



(No Model.) T. W. STAPLETON.

SAND GUARD FDR RAILWAYS.

No. 285,700. Patented Sept. 25.1883.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

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I ED J STATES PATENT" OFF CE.

TIMOTHY-w. STAPLETON, or PORTLAND, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN G. MCBRIDE,

- or PENDLETON, onneon.

SAND-GUARD FOR RAILWAYS.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,700, dated September 25, 1883,

' Application filed May 5, 1883, (No model.)

drifts or sand which is carried along by the wind from accumulating 011 the tracks.

The invention consists in a series of boards pivoted at the sides of the track and support ing other boards under which the wind passes and sweeps over the track, carrying the sand along in its course, and thus clearingthe track.

The invention also consists in rails for supporting the ends of the said boards, and .in horses for supporting the ends of the said rails.

0 Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similarletters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a railway 2 provided with my improved sand-guards. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 3 isa crosssectional elevation of one of the horses, showing the ends of the longitudinal side boards for supporting the sand-boards.

. The rails A are spiked to ties B, which are placed at the usual. distance apart and rest on longitudinal beams or stringers G, which in turn rest on the sleepers D, which are embedded in the ground more or less, as the case The ground in which the said sleepers are embedded must consist of gravel, or some other earth that cannot be blown off by the wind. Some of the ties are provided at the ends with eyelets or loops E, adapted to re- 0 ceive hooks F on the ends of boards G, the free ends of which bars rest on longitudinal rails J, placed at the side of the track and parallel with the same. The said rails J rest on horses H, placed at right angles to the tracks, and the rails J are provided at the ends with downwardly-projecting pins K, one of which rests on; each side of the top piece of a horse for holding the rail in place on the horse. The boards L are placed on the boards G, as shown.

. The boards G can be hinged to the ties, or can be fastened to the same in any suitable man- .the sand.

ner. If desired, the free ends of the boards G can rest on the earth in place of being rested on rails J, supported by the horses.

In sand-storms thesand accumulates on each side of the track in ridges from four to ten feet high. It then encroaches on the track, and finally stops travel. The horses H are then placed on the top of the ridges, and are pressed down in the same until they have a firm bearing, the rails J are placed on the horses, the free ends of the boards G are placed on'the rails J, and then the boards Lare'placed on the other boards G in such a manner that their outer edges will be a certain distance above The boards L .must be so arranged that the opening between the sand and the outer edges of the boards will be toward the direction from which the sand blows. The

wind passes in under the boards L and is conducted to the other side of the track, and in its passage carries along the sand. Thereby the height of the ridges at the sides of the track are gradually reduced, and gradually the ridges are removed altogether. The tracks can thus be kept clean at a very low cost, and much delay, which is very frequently caused by San dstorms, can be avoided.

The boards L need not cover all the space between the track and where the horses rest say about half-way'-endin g at where the horses are, or far enough to direct the current of wind so that it will carry along the sand in its course, and in some instances it will be found that the boards G will be sufiicicnt to keep the track clear, as the wind striking againsttheir sides will so direct the current of wind as to have the desired effect. This applies to such places on the railroad as are not badly blocked with sand 5 but where large ridges of sand have already accumulated on one or both sides of the railroad-track it will be found advisable to use the cross-boards L in connection with the boards G. These boards may be of any width desired-say from twelve to eighteen inches. The wider they are the more effectual will they be for directing the course of the wind.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a railway-track,

of sand-boards attached to the sides of the same, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the rails A and ties B, of the boards G and the boards L, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the rails A and ties B, of the boards G and the boards L, the rails J, and the horses H, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the rails A and the ties B, of the boards G and the boards L, the rails J, the pins K, and the horses H, sub- I 5 stantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

TIMOTHY WVM. STAPLETON.

\Vitnesses:

J NO. M. GEARIN, C. B. BELLAY. 

